BANGLADESH

The finance minister has acknowledged that Bangladesh's foreign direct investment has almost dried up.

Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told a discussion on public-private partnership (PPP) that public expenditure was rather low. He said private and foreign direct investment needed to be shored up for higher investment.

"But we are lagging behind in this aspect."

"We are trying to raise investment though the PPP initiative. Higher investment would require foreign investment besides domestic investment. Public Private Partnership should have such a focus."

According to the central bank, $ 768 million worth of FDI came to the country in 2010-11 fiscal, 913 million in 2009-10, 961 million in 2008-09.

But FDI increased in the first month of current fiscal. In July the FDI inflow was $ 57 million, compared to $ 102 million of last July.